Longtime UFC color commentator Joe Rogan shared a strong take on a champion.
During a recent episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast featuring top-ranked UFC bantamweight Marlon Vera, Rogan was highly critical of Amanda Nunes’ performance at UFC 269.
Nunes stepped into the Octagon on December 11, 2021, as the promotion’s female featherweight and bantamweight champion, however she left the cage that night without her 135-pound strap. “The Lioness” took on Julianna Pena during the co-main event, and although she had a good first round, she was pieced up on the feet during the second frame and was ultimately forced to tap to a rear-naked choke.
What appeared to ultimately lead to Nunes’ downfall was her fatigue level in the second round. And that’s exactly what Rogan pointed to, saying it’s “inexcusable” for a fighter of Nunes’ level to gas out so early in a fight.
GettyAmanda Nunes & Julianna Pena
The Lioness is the consensus greatest women’s fighter of all time, but Rogan thinks she looked far from that last weekend.
“For you to be a world champion in two divisions and universally recognized as the greatest woman fighter of all time, which Amanda is, it’s inexcusable to be that tired in the second round,” Rogan said via MMA Junkie.
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Rogan Continued About Nunes
Rogan said that it’s critical for a fighter to enter the cage feeling nervous, as well as not underestimating their opponent.
“The thing is, one thing I did say leading up to the fight, as they were getting ready, you have to think of all the times where someone has underestimated someone,” Rogan continued. “You can never underestimate an opponent. You can’t go into a fight not nervous. You can’t go into a fight completely sure you’re gonna win when that other person is hungry and scared, because weird things happen when people underestimate people. But f***, that was nuts.”
Rogan believes Nunes punched herself out trying to take Pena out, which led to The Lioness gassing.
“She was swinging for the fences,” Rogan said. “She was trying to take her out quick and then when Julianna was still there, you could tell she was f****** tired.”
“And just standing in front of her, just swinging in front of her, no movement side to side, standing right in front of her like you’re watching a regional fight,” Rogan continued.
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Rogan Said Pena Made Nunes ‘Quit’
As history has it, Pena is credited for making the women’s GOAT “quit” inside the Octagon, Rogan said to Vera.
“It was caused by Julianna,” Rogan said. “Julianna made her quit. She didn’t just quit on her own. You’ve got to give Julianna all the credit. … Yeah, she made her quit. But the way she made her quit was crazy. No hooks, choke wasn’t on at all. It was on the chin. … She was exhausted. She quit.”
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Joe Rogan Tears Into UFC Champion: ‘That Was Nuts’